Play ideas for indoors or outdoors for Term 4

A few fun and engaging play ideas to spark curiosity, creativity, and connection for tamariki. Each experience supports learning outcomes from Te Whāriki in a natural, holistic way. 

Painting with Natural Brushes (pine needles, flax, feathers) 

  • Resources: Pine needles, flax, feathers, sticks, leaves, flowers or other natural resources the tamariki collect, paper or cardboard, paint or clay slurry, and containers for mixing. 
  • Play Inspiration: An opportunity for tamariki to create their own “brushes” by tying natural materials to sticks with string or rubber bands. Notice how each brush makes a different mark, texture, or pattern. They might experiment outdoors, using leaves or stones as their “canvas.” 
  • Te Whāriki Links: 
  • Exploration | Mana Aotūroa – Developing curiosity and experimenting with different materials. 
  • Communication | Mana Reo – Expressing ideas through creative media and sharing discoveries with others. 

Shape Hunt 

  • Resources: Clipboards, paper, pencils, magnifying glasses, and shape cards or pictures. 
  • Play Inspiration: Invite tamariki to find shapes around the Playcentre – circles in tyres, triangles in roofs, rectangles in windows. An extension of this could be to support the recording of what they find or sketch what they see and sort their findings into groups. Additionally, you could further extend by creating shape collages or using blocks to build the shapes they found. 
  • Te Whāriki Links: 
  • Exploration | Mana Aotūroa – Developing early mathematical concepts like shape, space, and classification. 
  • Communication | Mana Reo – Using language to describe patterns and spatial ideas. 

Shadow Play with Torches and Puppets 

  • Resources: Torches, lamps, darkened area (indoor or tented), paper cut-out puppets or soft toys, and a white sheet or wall. 
  • Play Inspiration: Tamariki can explore how light and shadow move, change size, and create stories. Encourage storytelling by projecting shadows of puppets or body shapes onto the wall. Experiment with distance and light sources. 
  • Te Whāriki Links: 
  • Exploration | Mana Aotūroa – Investigating cause and effect, observing change. 
  • Communication | Mana Reo – Using movement and storytelling to communicate ideas. 

Hospital or Vet Clinic 

  • Resources: Bandages, plasters, toy medical kits, dolls, toys, clipboards, paper for “patient charts,” blankets. 
  • Play Inspiration: An opportunity for tamariki to role-play doctors, nurses, vets, or patients. They can care for dolls, toys, each other, or an adult – write down symptoms, and “treat” their patients. This play supports empathy, social cooperation, and emergent literacy through writing and symbols. 
  • Te Whāriki Links: 
  • Contribution | Mana Tangata – Developing empathy, cooperation, and responsibility. 
  • Communication | Mana Reo – Using and creating symbols (lists, charts, notes) to represent meaning in play. 

Focus on having fun together and observe the children’s interests.

Upcoming PLD Opportunities 2025

We are excited to be able to offer a Term 4 Online Self-directed Facebook PLD option around the New Operational Model. Check out our upcoming date and register for this term on Bookwhen.

Check out our other online PLD options. 

Contact Us

If you have any PLD questions, please contact:  

Karina Hart | Professional Learning and Development Lead | Kaiārahi Ako Ngaiotanga 

027 880 5378|[email protected]